Support



Dec. 26, 1933. C, c, wElDEMANN 1,941,373

SUPPORT Filed March 31, 1952 Patented Dec. 26,1933

SUPPORT Charles Conrad Weidemann, Berkeley, Calif.

' Application March 31,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to supports, its primary object being the provisionof a support for supporting objects on the arm of the user.

More specifically, the object of my invention is the provision of asupport having both a hand grip and means for engaging the arm to steadythe support, the support being adapted to use with any one of a numberof instruments or utensils.

Another of my objects is the provision of securing means for embracingthe arm to hold the I support in position on the arm when the hand holdis released;

Having in View these objects and others which will be pointed out in thefollowing description, I will now refer to the drawing, in which Figure1 is an illustration showing the manner of using my support forsupporting a Xylophone on the musicians arm.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the support without the supportedobject.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the rear wall of the support butshowing a modified form of arm encircling device.

Figure 4 is a View of the support in side elevation showing a modifiedform of hand hold.

The support itself is best shown in Figure 2. This consists of a frontwall 10, a rear wall 11 and two side rails 12 for maintaining the endwalls in spaced apart relation. The side rails 12 may be of equal lengthbut in the initial design of the support the front wall 10 is shorterthan the rear wall 11 thus giving the upper surface of the support atruncated form. The front wall is provided with a horizontal slot 13while the rear wall has a cutaway segmental portion 14 as best showninFigure 1.

The support was designed initially for use with a'xylophone 15 as shownin Figure 1. The Xylophone consists of a plurality of wooden slats whichare secured to the upper surface of the support. 1 Between the slats andthe side rails there are ,nonresonant cushions 16 as shown in Figure 2,these cushions being secured to the,

upper surfaces of the side rails in any preferred manner while the slatsof the Xylophone are loosely secured to the side rails 12. immediately,above thecushions 16.

In use the support is grasped by passing the fingers through the slot 13and closing the hand to grasp the lower portion of the front wall 10.The rear wall 11 then rests on the arm with the cutaway part 14partially embracing the arm.

The right hand will then be free for using the 1932. Serial No. 602,242(Cl. 84 -403) may be dropped but the hand must maintain its grip on thefront wall 10 with the fingers projecting through the slot 13. Whilethis is unobjectionable for brief periods of time, it is apt to becomesomewhat fatiguing if the support is thus carriedfor any great length oftime. In

the Figure 2 construction I show the use of a resilient metallic strap17 which is secured in the cutaway portion of the rear wall 11. In'thiscase the operator slips his arm through the strap 17 until his handgrasps the front wall 10 with his fingers through the slot 13. If hethen re-' leaseshis grasp of the front wall, the strap 1'7 willmaintain'its grip on the users arm so that the support will not fall.Likewise, in Figure 3 the metallic strip 17 is replaced by a strap 18 ofleather or of fabric webbing having a buckle for securely fastening onthe users arm. These show only two of the many possible variations inattaching devices for the rear wall 11. Likewise, the slot 13 may bereplaced by any of numerous other hand holds such as the handle 19 inFigure 4. This handle may be rigidly s'ecured or it may be hinged asshown so as to give slight freedom of movement of that portion of thearm between the rear wall of the support and the hand. 7

The support was first designed for use with 'a Xylophone but itsapplication to certain other musical instruments became immediatelyevident. In all cases wherea musical instrument is secured to thesupport, nonresonant cushions similar to the cushions l6 becomenecessary.v The device, however, remains a support regardless of whatmusical instrument is supported by the device.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact termsthat its construction and operation will be readily understood by othersskilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: i

1. In amusical instrument, a support including a slotted forward endmember, a rear end member adapted to rest on the users arm, side membersconnecting said forward and rear end .members in quadrilateral 'form, aplurality of Xylophone bars secured to said support, and nonresonantcushions secured between said support and said bars- 2. A musicalinstrument of the Xylophone type, comprising a support including aforward end member having means to be grasped by the users hand, a rearend member adapted to rest on the users arm, side members connectingsaid forward and rear end members, cushioning strips of nonresonantmaterial secured to said side members, and Xylophone bars secured tosaid'side members with said cushioning strips spacing said bars fromsaid side members.

CHARLES CONRAD WEIDEMANN.

